WorldSpace: The Information Alternative in Africa's remote areas
Most of Africa's drylands lack basic infrastructure, such as electricity and
appropriate facilities for communication. This makes it rather difficult for
communities living in these regions to access appropriate information - such as information on social and development issues
that could improve their
lives.
Enter the World Space Satellite Radio.
All you need to do is to plug in a special satellite radio into a computer
and no matter how remote your location in Africa; you are instantly transported
to more information you thought possible. The Africa Learning channel and
WorldSpace can beam information on news, health, agriculture, education and more
right to your computer - and it is all free.
WorldSpace Technology
The WorldSpace satellite network is an innovative communication technology
that enables people to access information in the absence of electricity and
telephones. The technology involves the use of three geo stationary satellites
launched over Africa [AfriStar], Asia [AsiaStar] and America [AmeriStar]. In
1999 Africa became the first place to receive the new medium of satellite direct
radio broadcasting. The AfriStar Satellite has three broadcast beams that cover
the African continent with an extension to some parts of Europe and the Middle
East. Each beam covers a total area of 14 million square kilometres, which
enables a broadcaster to reach a vast audience from a single point of broadcast
with no loss of sound quality, making the system highly cost effective.
Another unique aspect of this technology is the variety if programmes that
can be accessed. Each beam can broadcast more than 40 different channels.
Special portable radio receivers are used to capture the WorldSpace digital
signals depending on the region where one is tuning in. For example, if you are
in Namibia, then you can receive broadcasts from the southern beam only. If you
are in the East Africa region you can tune into both the southern and eastern
beam, giving you an even larger choice of programmes. Each beam has different
broadcasters that are 'uplinked' to the satellite from the WorldSpace studios in
Johannesburg.
How the WorldSpace radios work
Currently there are four WS radio models in the market, ranging in price from
US$130 to $US200, with prices dropping each year. If you want digital sound, you
have it. Simply find a good location, press a button, a suitable beam is
automatically selected and a desired channel can then be tuned in for listening
to crystal clear programmes including African Learning Channel, BBC, or NGOMA,
the latter offering traditional music from across Africa.
If you are interested in a multimedia service such as downloading text and
graphics, simply connect the radio to a computer using a special adapter card.
The card which retails at about US$ 38 includes WorldSpace software to run the
direct media service.
The radios are equipped with a detachable waterproof micro-dish which
receives signals from WorldSpace satellite and can be powered by ordinary
batteries, solar or grid electricity.
Partnerships
Making great strides disseminating information from agencies and NGOs across
Africa to the continent's remote regions, is the Africa Learning Channel,
operated by WorldSpace technology, a US based non-profit organisation. The
channel focuses on issues like health, HIV/AIDS, environment and agriculture,
micro-enterprise and conflict resolution. The Arid Lands Information
Network-Eastern Africa has partnered with the WorldSpace foundation to deliver
information through the Africa Learning Channel.
A demonstration on how the technology works has been set up at the ALIN-EA
offices in Nairobi and fifteen other sites spread throughout Kenya, Uganda,
Tanzania and Ethiopia. Find out more and contact the ALIN-EA. Details below.
This article is shortened from the original by Noah Lusaka, ALIN-EA project
officer and published in Ecoforum magazine. ( 
for more information on Ecoforum)
More Information:
Contact the Arid Lands Information Network, (Eastern Africa), PO Box 10098,
00100, Nairobi GPO, KENYA.
Phone: (Nairobi, Kenya) 719413/715293/713540/719313
Fax: (Nairobi, Kenya) 710083
E-mail: baobab@iconnect.co.ke
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